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Greetings,
I hope you are enjoying my electronic newsletters, and find them interesting and informative about county activities. In addition to my monthly newsletter, the county sends various newsletters and notifications available by email or text message. To explore the many opportunities to subscribe or to change your preferences, visit the subscription webpage.
Please feel free to send me your comments through my feedback form on issues that concern you or you would like covered. I value your opinions.
Warm regards,
Jan Callison
April 11, 2017
Renewed funding will help keep youth in school
The board approved $2 million of funding to extend contracts for
a Hennepin County program to provide early intervention to youth at risk of
becoming truant. The be@school program, run by the Hennepin County Attorney’s
Office, is extending contracts with 12 vendors who provide services to youth
and their families.
Read more about this action.
Read more about be@school.
Continued funding will provide path out of homelessness
The board accepted $759,450 in grant funding to help house
people with mental illnesses who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. The
Minnesota Department of Human Services funding provides outreach, case
management and other services focusing on recovery. The program helped 46
clients who had been chronically homeless find housing last year.
Read more about this action.
Read more about Hennepin County resources for the
homeless.
Funding will rehabilitate Lake Street bridge
The board approved a funding agreement with Ramsey County to maintain the 28-year-old Lake Street Bridge crossing over the Mississippi River. The bridge connects Minneapolis and St. Paul. Hennepin and Ramsey counties will each pay half of the estimated $1.4 million project cost. Maintenance work is slated to begin early this summer.
Read more about the funding agreement.
Read more about the project.
April 25, 2017
Funding will continue preparing youth for college and careers
The board approved $164,000 of funding to expand the reach of a
college and career readiness program for local youth experiencing employment
barriers. Throughout the next two years, 100 Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center
youth will complete $15 an hour internships with public and private employer
partners. This summer, Hennepin County will host 10 interns.
Read more about the program.
Federal and local dollars will aid transit-oriented development along Blue Line Extension
The board accepted $1.2 million of federal and local funding to
advance transit-oriented development along the future Metro Blue Line Extension
(Bottineau Transitway).
Hennepin County will receive $1.1 million from the Federal
Transit Administration, with Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale and Golden
Valley contributing additional funding.
Using grant funding, Hennepin County Community Works will
complete the following activities:
- Help cities update land use
policies and zoning ordinances
- Improve bicycle and pedestrian
connections and wayfinding
- Analyze housing gaps
- Engage with the community and
small businesses
- Explore financing strategies
The Metro Blue Line Extension will extend 13 miles from
Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park and include 11 stations.
Learn more about the funding.
Learn more about Bottineau LRT Community Works.
Library Board members commended for their service
The board commended three retiring Hennepin County Library Board
members:
The work that the Library Board does is incredibly important to the success of the Hennepin County Library System.
Read more about the board.
April 20, 2017
Annual budget process
Staff provided the following information relative to the
preparation of the 2018 budget:
- Property values continue to increase in Hennepin
County. As was true last year,
Minneapolis values have grown more than suburban values and, throughout the
county, apartments have grown more than single family residences.
- Fund balances are relatively stable and
generally appropriate
- Significant cost drivers in 2018 are likely to
be labor and health care costs
- The federal and state budgets represent
significant areas of uncertainty for county budgeting
May 1, 2017
Residents still have time to register for Hennepin
County’s Step to it challenge, which begins Monday, May 1.
The challenge, open to residents of all ages and abilities, is a
way to get moving while connecting with family, friends and
neighbors. During the challenge May 1 - 28, participants track their steps
for a chance to win Minnesota Twins tickets and other prizes.
Participants can log all types of activities toward their step
total – even activities already part of their daily routine, like washing the
car, cleaning the house and vacuuming.
How to participate
May 1, 2017
Samurai and Swords
Grades 7-12. In this three-part series, learn about Kenjutsu, the Japanese art of swordsmanship. Demonstrations and hands-on learning with wooden practice weapons will have you moving like a warrior in training.
- Monday, May 1, 6 to 7 p.m
- Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina
Learn
more about the Kenjutsu demonstration.
May 2, 2017
Public hearing on financing of affordable housing project
The Housing and Redevelopment Authority is hosting a public
hearing in May to gather feedback on financing a 169-unit affordable housing
project in downtown Minneapolis.
- Tuesday, May 2, at 1:30 p.m.
- Hennepin County Government
Center Board Room (A-2400)
- 300 South Sixth Street,
Minneapolis
The site of the future affordable housing project, East Town
Apartments, is located at 815 Sixth Street South.
Read more about the public hearing.
May 2, 2017
Master Gardener: Edible Gardening
Learn the how-tos of edible gardening. Fruits, vegetables, berries and edible flowers can easily become a part of your home landscape design.
- Tuesday, May 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m
- Hopkins Library, 22 11th Avenue North, Hopkins
Learn
more about this gardening class.
May 8 and 13, 2017
Global Folk: Puerto Rican Drum and Dance
Young dancers and drummers from the El Arco Iris Center for the Arts will immerse you in the rhythms and culture of Puerto Rico! Funded by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
- Saturday, May 13, 2 to 3 p.m
- Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue South, Edina
Learn
more about this drum and dance event.
May 15, 2017
Resources to maintain senior independence
Seniors can encounter many challenges to their independence. In addition to its many rewards, caregiving for a loved one can also present difficulties. Learn various approaches and services that can help support seniors to continue living at home. Sponsor: Friends of the Wayzata Library. Collaborator: Senior Community Services.
- Monday, May 15, 1 to 2 p.m
- Wayzata Library, 620 Rice Street, Wayzata
Learn
more about this event for seniors.
May 16, 2017
Public hearing on financing capital improvements
The board is hosting a public hearing to gather feedback on the issuance of up to $200 million of financing for 2017 – 2021 capital improvements.
- Tuesday, May 16, 1:30 p.m.
- Hennepin County Government Center Board Room (A-2400)
- 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis
May 19, 2017
Bike to work day
Friday, May 19 is National Bike to Work Day. Whether it’s
your first ride to work, or you’re a seasoned year-round commuter, there’s no
better day to celebrate all the benefits of biking to work.
Group rides led by elected officials and experienced bike
commuters will start at the locations around Minneapolis and head downtown. Find a ride near you.
Bike to Work Day morning celebration
Meet up at the Government Center North Plaza for a fun Bike
to Work Day celebration organized by Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis
and the Minneapolis Bike Coalition with refreshments, speakers and more.
Friday, May 19, 8 – 9 a.m.
Hennepin County Government Center, North Plaza
300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487
Rain location: Government Center, skyway level
County resources to help you ride
With more than 226 miles of off-street bikeways and 425
miles of on-street bikeways connecting 45 cities and 1.2 million residents,
Hennepin County is your place to ride.
- Explore our online
interactive map to discover great places to ride near you, whatever your
experience level.
- Check out the County’s 2040 Bicycle
Transportation Plan to learn more about our vision for connecting people to
places by keeping biking simple, safe and fun for everyone.
- Pick up a free County Bike Map at any one of our
county library locations.
- Get involved in making the county’s vision for
bicycling a reality by attending a meeting of the Bicycle
Advisory Committee.
- Look for safety tips, seasonal tricks and other
useful information for every type of rider at www.hennepin.us/ride
June 1, 2017
Volunteers needed to monitor wetlands
Hennepin County is seeking volunteers to monitor wetlands as
part of its Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP).
The program seeks adult volunteers with an interest in
wetlands, bugs and/or plants. Applicants do not need a science background
or previous experience. Hennepin County provides all the training,
equipment and leadership.
Volunteers are expected to commit 15 hours per month from June
to September.
Residents of the following cities and neighboring communities
are encouraged to apply for area teams:
- Bloomington
- Brooklyn Center
- Brooklyn Park
- Corcoran
- Eden Prairie
- Medina
- Minneapolis
- Minnetonka
- Plymouth
Partnering cities use WHEP data to determine the health of water
resources and manage natural resources.
The deadline to submit volunteer applications is June
1. For more information or to become a volunteer, call Mary Karius at 612-596-9129
or visit the WHEP webpage.
District 6 - 2017 Transportation Activity
Hennepin County's public works department is going to be keeping busy now that construction season has begun. Staff has identified many maintenance needs that will be included in the county's yearly maintenance programs over the next few years. For the 2017 season, work consists of road pavement improvements - overlays and crack sealing; traffic improvements - pedestrian ramps, railroad crossings pre-emption conversions, signal painting, and signal video detection; roadside improvements - guardrail repairs; and ongoing maintenance activities which includes: patching potholes, street sweeping, mowing, maintaining signs, restriping roadways, repairing drainage structures, repairing guardrails, and removing diseased trees.
A few examples of projects across the district are:
- Edina: Overlay on France Avenue (CR 17) from Highway 62 to 51st Street
- Hopkins: Overlay on Excelsior Boulevard (CR 3) from Church Lane to 11th Avenue South
- Wayzata: Pedestrian sidewalk ramp replacement and upgrading on Central Avenue (CR 101) at the Wayzata Boulevard intersection
- Eden Prairie: Signal painting on Baker Road (CR 60) at 62nd Street West
- Orono: Guardrail repairs on Shoreline Drive (CR 15) at Beach Line as well as Green Trees Road
There are also a few notable reconstruction projects in 2017:
- Some finishing work continues on the County Road 101 South reconstruction project in Minnetonka.
- Work is getting underway on the Wayzata Boulevard (CR 112) reconstruction project in Long Lake and Orono. Project webpage
- The Brown Road (CR 146) Bridge over Long Lake Creek is scheduled to be replaced in 2017. Project webpage
Residents looking for the most current information about major operations activities should visit www.hennepin.us/roadmaintenance.
Hennepin County provides resources for homebuyers
Spring home buying season is here. Hennepin County has resources
for house hunters to enhance, inform and supplement the home buying process.
This information is more accurate, comprehensive and reliable
than home buying aggregate websites, and features unique historical information
and records not found anywhere else.
Minneapolis City Hall / Hennepin County Courthouse clock dedication
On April 24, 2017 the Municipal Building Commission Board officially celebrated the lighting of the faces of the Minneapolis City Hall / Hennepin County Courthouse clock. The clock was dedicated after the completion of a roughly $2.1 million restoration project, which included replacing the white clock faces with glass similar to what the clock had when first built more than a century ago; the steel framing with cast aluminum; and neon light with historically accurate backlighting.
The clock is the largest, four-faced chiming clock in the world measuring 23 feet, 6 inches in diameter.
Some interesting facts about the clock include:
- At 345 feet (400 at the tip of the flagstaff), the clock tower made the City Hall/Courthouse building the tallest structure in Minneapolis until the Foshay Tower was built in the 1920s.
- Each
minute hand is more than 14 feet long. It was once calculated that the minute
hand travels 110 miles each year.
- A
new set of metal clock faces with neon lighting were installed when the
original backlit glasses faces started to crack in 1949.
- The
restored clock features roughly 11,000 pieces in each of the four clock faces.
Make sure you take a trip to downtown Minneapolis to see the beautiful restored clock.
 The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners consists of one commissioner from each of seven districts. I am proud to represent Deephaven, north Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Long Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, northern Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and Woodland.
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Jan Callison
Commissioner
6th District
612-348-7886
Allyson Sellwood
Policy Aide
612-348-6885
Christine Hoyles
Administrative Assistant
612-348-3168
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